Fishing with kids is an art, just ask any successful father while he’s frying up a freshly caught fish dinner. I’ve had a lot of days on the water fishing with kids and almost all of them were good days. Here are a few tips to help assure everybody has a good time.
The challenge is to show the kids a good experience so that they want to fish more often. Everybody likes to know where they are headed, so fill in the details and describe how the day will go so the kids know what to expect. It’s hard to seek lunkers if the action is slow and your anglers are impatient. It’s better to find some steady action like chasing bluegills, perch, or roughfish.
Keep it simple.
A hook and a bobber is a lot easier to deal with than teaching live bait rigging. Bobbers will allow young anglers to set their rods down and eat snacks or play, this will also give you time to rig up other gear and tend to the crew. Bobbers will also allow you to monitor all of the lines and give visual clues when a fish bites. Pontoons are ideal for having ample room to play and still be able to fish. Many communities have a public fishing dock or pier, these are usually located in productive spots and you can get a good idea of what works and what doesn’t by talking to other fishermen out there.
“Another simple technique is jigging.”
A jig tipped with a twister tail or some bait is versatile enough to be casted or dropped over the side of the boat and bounced off the bottom. Although not necessarily a quality rod will help kids learn to feel the bottom and differentiate between bites and snags. A friend of mine who is an old guide has his grandson fish with his eyes closed until he catches his first fish, this allows the youngster to really feel the fish bite.
Traveling the distance together
The third simple method for fishing with kids is trolling. Tie on a Rapala and put the boat in gear. Rod holders really make trolling advantageous because it allows the fisherman and boat driver to be hands-free. Let out a couple boat lengths worth of line and as long as the rod tip is dancing the lure is working. I really like floating Rapala’s #11 or #13 because they don’t dive very deep so snags can be avoided. Black/silver or black/gold are great colors for northern Minnesota and will catch everything from walleyes to pike and bass.
Break-offs will happen and there’s nothing worse than the one that got away, especially if it takes your six-dollar lure. Pike are notorious for biting through the line but using a superline such as Powerpro or Fireline will greatly reduce break-offs due to sharp pike teeth and will increase a youngster hooking percentage because it doesn’t require strong hook sets like monofilament. The Palomar knot is the best for fireline. It’s easy to teach kids and once they get the hang of it they won’t lose fish. More fish means more smiles.
Self Reliance.
Snags and tangles are inevitable and may try your patients. Teach your kids different techniques for unsnagging such as the bowstring, or backing up and pulling from the direction the lure got snagged. If you know you’re going to lose tackle keep it simple and cheap by going with plain hooks sinkers and bait, jigs are also cheap and don’t hurt as bad if lost to snags. I like to keep an extra rod rigged up so that you can just hand it out to keep the kids fishing while you can deal with a snag or tangle.
The more you teach kids to be self-sufficient the easier your fishing will be. Teach them how to tie their hooks on and bait their own hooks. Kids like to be involved so let them choose their own lure and change lures often if it will keep them occupied, some of the stuff they choose may surprise you and they may be the secret lure to catch the big one.
Buy your kids a decent rod and tackle box with a variety of lures, it’s a cheap investment and will give them a sense of ownership. Quality gear will make your fishing easier in the long run. My dad bought each of my brother’s eagle claw pack rods, they were easily packed on various missions, versatile enough to change from the fly rod, spinning, or bait caster. They also had a lifetime warranty which was good because we were good at breaking them. Nowadays I use Shimano Clarus rods because they have excellent sensitivity and have an over-the-counter lifetime warranty. Murphy’s Law almost always comes into play and a good warranty eases the pain.
Teach kids to fillet fish so that they can learn how to use a knife safely and help with the dirty work.
It’s about fun!
It is said that there are levels of progression as an angler matures. When you are new at fishing it’s all about the catching and the fighting. Every fish is a blast and size isn’t as important as numbers. There is nothing more fun than a big numbers day, bring along a golf clicker and let the youngsters keep score for bragging rights. Take lots of pictures and display them proudly so that those memories can be relived over and over again. As an angler progresses in skill the importance of catching comes in second to the ability to share the pleasure of catching fish. You may have to forego fishing yourself in order to keep the young crew in the action, but the smiles on their faces will be worth your efforts.
Teach your kids the importance of catch and release. Releasing large fish is a must if our kids are going to enjoy quality fishing in the future.
Get a big net! Not only for netting lunkers but it acts as a live well when left over the side of the boat. This allows you time to unhook the fish and keep it safely in the water while you get the camera and tape measure ready. Digital cameras allow you to snap a bunch of pictures; you can delete the ones you don’t want. A live well or fish basket is also a good way to keep the fish safe and healthy while allowing you time to work out some details.
Keep it entertaining.
If the kids aren’t having fun you probably won’t be either. Plan shorter excursions and be ready to pack up early if you need to, it’s better than forcing a child to have a bad day of fishing, because, that is what they will remember most about fishing. Bring along plenty of snacks, sometimes Cheetos and gummi worms will catch fish too A radio is great for singing along with Jonny Cash or listening to the baseball game while fishing. If books, portable video games, or DVD players will keep the kids occupied bring them along as well. Small children like to chase fish around in the live well and play with the live bait, let them, it will teach them not to be squeamish and give them an idea about wildlife. Snorkel sets are great for recovering lost lures or scouting out fishing spots. Keep your anglers comfortable, you can always shed layers. Bring lots of extra jackets, hats gloves, and rain gear. A good fishing hat is a must and sunglasses and quality rain gear can really save the day sometimes. Make sure you have sunscreen and bug dope in the boat and some fisherman’s hand soap to eliminate any scents afterward. Always have life jackets and make sure your kids learn to swim, because, doing both may save a very important life someday.
Ice.
Ice fishing is fun with kids because they can run around and play while fishing. Using tip-ups makes it easy to pike fish on nice sunny afternoons as well as throw the football or Frisbee around on the lake. A warm portable ice shack assures comfortable fishing and I’m sure that my Vexilar is the greatest video game ever, the winners eat well. Kids are quick to pick up on electronics so teach them how to use a flasher and watch the magic. Hot food is always a hit on the ice and we eat well on the ice. I like to bring a small hibachi grill to cook: brats, burgers, steak, pork chops, shish kabobs, and whatever else. We also have an old camping folding sandwich iron and enjoy cooking over Mr. Heater making Rueben, pocket pizzas, hot ham, and cheeses. Hot P&J pockets are always a treat for dessert.
Kids are the future of fishing.
If you’re passionate about fishing please share some quality time on the water with your kids. Teach them how to fish successfully and responsibly so that they may keep quality fishing preserved for future generations and protect the fish we love and the water they live in.
